It is often hard to hide your nail sins, especially when you haven’t treated your tips too kindly. While opaque polish can camouflage surface flaws, it won’t solve deeper issues like staining, ridges and brittleness. Thankfully, savvy nail care companies are catching on by developing products that go beyond aesthetics.

Nowadays, base coats and treatments contain vitamins and minerals that strengthen and improve nail health. So you are better off when you focus on nail polishes that contain unique nutrient and vitamin blends (such as biotin and green tea) for continued nail health.

Aside from practicing proper nail care and choosing products with good-for-you ingredients to help improve the health of your nails, read on for a few smart ways to make your nails look better instantly.

Get familiar with color correcting: Based on the science of the color wheel (and RYB color model), certain shades effectively cancel others. Oftentimes, these formulas have micronize color pigments and optical diffusers that cancel out underlying undesirable shades.

From cosmetic dermatology, it is known that to cover red areas on the face, like rosacea, the makeup often has a green tint. You can apply this same color-correcting principal to nail polish. For example, many polishes leave the nails with yellow discoloration, which is why it is best to use color-correcting products with a violet-purple tint. Those with a greenish undertone on their nails should lean toward a crimson-scarlet-red family product.

Avoid nail discoloration: Yellowing occurs because the porosity of the nail is variable and certain people who have more porous nails are more prone to this phenomenon. If you have a soft spot for rocking darker shades like red, stained nails may be a commonplace issue for you. Other factors like dye content and removing polish effectively also play a role. You can avoid yellowing by following this tip.

Starting with the first hand, take a small piece of cotton and saturate it with nail polish remover. Press the wet cotton down onto the first nail, so that the cotton/remover completely covers the nail and let it set. Continue to do the same for each of the other nails, letting each sit on the nails. When you are done, all five nails should have their own pieces of cotton swab treatments sitting on them.

Unlike other harsh removal methods, this system eliminates damage usually inflicted by pressing down too hard and rubbing your nails and cuticles, which ultimately causes weakened nails and breakage.

Find the right nail shape: The shape of the nail can help to elongate one’s hands and improve its overall appearance. Your best option is a slightly longer, almond-shaped nail, for it is very slenderizing, quite sexy and still very strong. A short, more rounded style is always a classic go-to shape, especially for buffed, bare nails. Women should stay away from a super square-shaped nails, as it is not the most flattering and makes fingers appear shorter.

Going nude is easy: The same way you try on clothes before you buy them, you should try on lacquers to find the perfect shade. When it comes to nudes, look to your cuticles for answers. If the nude lacquer isn’t right for your skin tone, your cuticle will actually look red or dirty.